I sit down with Andy Hunter, founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, to unpack how their e-commerce platform operates as one big affiliate network to support independent bookstores. It’s the classic “David vs. Goliath” story where the company is giving small retail businesses a way to compete directly with Amazon. Against all odds, Bookshop.org is working. They’ve already raised over $43 million for indie bookstores and are just getting started.

In this conversation we discuss:

* The “Silver Lining” of Amazon’s dominance and the resurgence of local bricks-and-mortar bookstores.

* How Bookshop.org handles logistics and supply chains for bookstores

* How Bookshop.org operates like one big affiliate network

* Expanding into eBooks

* Why publishers and tranditional media outlets are important for book culture

* The difference between algorithmic recommendations and human curation

* Expanding this decentralized model to other industries to support local retail

Enjoy!

Watch on YouTube; listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Recording Date: November 19, 2025

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:06 David vs. Goliath

02:10 Silver Lining Of Amazon’s Dominance

06:24 Chipping Away At Amazon And Supporting Independent Bookstores

11:46 How Bookshop.org Works

20:33 One Big Affiliate Network: From Influencers to New York Times

24:08 Role of Book Publishers And Wholesalers

26:03 Launching During COVID-19

32:32 Breaking Down the Economic Business Model

37:53 Importance Of Staying Lean

41:25 Expanding Into eBooks

44:05 Supporting Independent Authors

46:13 Media’s Role In Book Culture

52:11 Optimizing For Human Happiness

57:00 Applying Bookshop.org’s Model To Other Industries

59:45 Rapid Fire

* Follow Jordan on X:

https://x.com/jrwolfe

* Links to Andy’s Work:

* Website - Bookshop.org

* Email – [email protected]

Remember to go direct!

Jordan

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